As you can see, at the Payroll Department we focus on the key fundamentals in HR services. And the topic of job descriptions is definitely a key fundamental in HR matters for both employees and employers. There are three basic core benefits when it comes to creating a solid job description. (more…)
Have you ever read something and found yourself shaking your head in agreement through the entire piece? Well, when I saw a slide presentation from Accounting Today about the payroll errors commonly made by small business owners, I had to agree. I personally have been given these reasons for why some of my clients make the decision to outsource their payroll to The Payroll Department! These are costly mistakes when the IRS or other governmental agency gets involved – I know lots of people who will agree with that. Don’t be caught out! (more…)
As an entrepreneur, are you trying to do it all when it comes to running your small business? While you may think you’re the only one who can do the work efficiently, that’s not really the case. If you want your small business to grow, you need to learn how to let go and start delegating tasks that really aren’t your forte. However, some entrepreneurs don’t want to hire full- or part-time employees to take on these responsibilities. That’s when outsourcing makes a lot of sense.(more…)
According to an article in Forbes by Matthew Garrett, payroll fraud is a problem. A really big problem. He says that 27% of all businesses are the victims of payroll fraud. And, small business owners beware, because Garrett says payroll fraud occurs nearly twice as often (14.2%) in small organizations with less than 100 employees than in large ones (7.6%). (more…)
As an employer, you set the policies for managing your small business and your employees. But you better make sure your payroll policies follow government rules. Otherwise, you may have to pay back wages and fines. Just ask Progressive Business Publications. The Pennsylvania company owes current and former employees about $1.75 million in back wages and damages for docking its employees’ pay for bathroom breaks. (more…)
Minimum wage is a hot topic in the media these days, but we aren’t going to debate increasing the minimum wage to $15. The amount may be under debate, but the one thing that doesn’t change is the fact that employers have laws to follow regarding minimum wage. (more…)
What do you know about payroll fraud? Have you given it much consideration? Payroll fraud is a crime in which employees use the payroll system to steal money from a company, and it does happen. In fact, an article in Forbes reports that 27% of all businesses experience payroll fraud and that small businesses are nearly twice as likely to encounter fraud as larger businesses are. As these statistics show, this is obviously a problem that should not be ignored. (more…)
In the politically charged atmosphere during the couple of years preceding a presidential election, the topic of taxes – and payroll taxes in particular – takes center stage. It is payroll taxes that take a bite out of both employees’ paychecks and small business owners’ bottom lines. (more…)
Every four years, the calendar offers up a dilemma to the world: How exactly will you spend that extra day in the wonderful blustery gray month of February? Well, actually leap year doesn’t really present too much of a problem. It’s pretty predictable – it comes every four years at the same time. So not a whole lot of preparation is required. But there are other calendar irregularities that can cause a bit more of a problem. (more…)
Are you an employer or employee who likes to get that paycheck in your hand every pay period? There are people who like that trip to the bank to make deposits. However, they may be putting themselves – and their employers – at risk by getting that paper check.
When paychecks go missing…
It’s not an uncommon event to have paychecks stolen. One small business owner found himself in a pickle. A man simply parked his car at a hotel to have dinner with a friend and when he returned, the bag containing the checks was gone. The thief may not have even known he was stealing checks because they were completely out of sight in a bag. But in any event, the employer now has a big problem that has to be resolved right away. Employees are waiting for their wages.
Replace your paycheck system and improve processes
Entrepreneurs have to take leadership roles and sometimes that means dictating processes that ensure safety and security – like with payroll. And most often in today’s workplace, payroll is paid in one of two ways:
Automatic deposit into employee bank accounts
Credit to a payroll card and used by the employee
Small business owners have enough to think about to keep the workplace running. In addition to using automatic deposits, more and more employers are outsourcing their payroll to a payroll provider. Not only does hiring out for payroll services ensure accuracy and efficiency, it keep the budget in line.
Employers are realizing that it is just not worth the risk when dealing with taxes and employee wages to keep it in house. The payroll fees are far outweighed by the costs of in-house processing and definitely as protection against error in payroll taxes, reporting and making deposits.
Streamlining the payroll process so that it can be handled virtually from start to finish eliminates the potential of having paychecks stolen from the back of a car during an errand run. And, with it being automated, it can be handled efficiently, which means it is cost effective.